Saturday, November 28, 2015

Cruz condemns Planned Parenthood shooting

LAMONI, Iowa — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Saturday night condemned the fatal shooting of three people at a Planned Parenthood location in Colorado while urging caution regarding the suspect’s motives.

“We don’t know ... what those motives were, but whatever they were, it’s unacceptable, and it’s horrific and wrong,” the Republican presidential hopeful told reporters here before a town hall.

Cruz is among the first — if not the first — GOP candidate to denounce the shooting, which happened Friday in Colorado Springs and left a police officer and two civilians dead. A suspect, Robert Dear, has been taken into custody.

"I have spent much of my adult life working in law enforcement, working against murderers and those who commit violent crime, and that one officer lost his life is particularly tragic," Cruz said.

Cruz appeared to be the first GOP candidate to directly address the shooting Saturday morning, when he tweeted that he was "Praying for the loved ones of those killed, those injured & first responders who bravely got the situation under control in Colorado Springs."

Cruz has been perhaps the harshest critic of Planned Parenthood in the GOP field, especially after the release of undercover videos showing officials with the group discussing business practices. Cruz has referred to the organization as an "ongoing criminal enterprise," and he regularly promises to initiate a federal investigation into the group as one of his first acts in office if elected president.